Moonbat sets himself on fire, DUmmies upset media doesn't deify him

In the real world, people would be sad that an obviously mentally ill man would off himself. Of course, when you share his mental illness, he becomes a hero.

npincus (1000+ posts) Tue Nov-28-06 03:30 PM
Original message
Anti-war protester sets fire to self in Chicago; MSM ignores
Edited on Tue Nov-28-06 03:39 PM by npincus
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/112706T.shtml

Randi is talking about this- OMG, horrible. She read about it on TruthOut (BTW, she said she reads TruthOut everyday), but this suicide in protest of the Iraq war was virtually ignored by the MSM.


Malachi Ritscher envisioned his death as one full of purpose. He carefully planned the details, mailed a copy of his apartment key to a friend, created to-do lists for his family. On his Web site, the 52-year-old experimental musician who'd fought with depression even penned his obituary.

At 6:30 a.m. on Nov. 3 - four days before an election caused a seismic shift in Washington politics - Ritscher, a frequent anti-war protester, stood by an off-ramp in downtown Chicago near a statue of a giant flame, set up a video camera, doused himself with gasoline and lit himself on fire.

Aglow for the crush of morning commuters, his flaming body was supposed to be a call to the nation, a symbol of his rage and discontent with the US war in Iraq.

"Here is the statement I want to make: if I am required to pay for your barbaric war, I choose not to live in your world. I refuse to finance the mass murder of innocent civilians, who did nothing to threaten our country," he wrote in his suicide note. "... If one death can atone for anything, in any small way, to say to the world: I apologize for what we have done to you, I am ashamed for the mayhem and turmoil caused by my country."

There was only one problem: No one was listening.


RethugAssKicker (1000+ posts) Tue Nov-28-06 03:35 PM
Response to Original message
1. We MUST hold this fucking media responsible.... Somehow!!!


uppityperson (1000+ posts) Tue Nov-28-06 03:40 PM
Response to Reply #2
6. Sacrificing his life to protest war=tragedy?
To some people the most important thing is continuing to live. To others, sacrificing their life is a reasonable thing. Regardless, MSM has been ignoring this, hoping to spin it as mental illness and ignore the reasoning behind it. RIP Malachi/Mark, I heard you.

For those interested:
http://www.iheardyoumalachi.org/story.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-immolation
http://www.savagesound.com/gallery100.htm
http://www.savagesound.com/gallery99.htm


DrunkenMaster (270 posts) Tue Nov-28-06 03:51 PM
Response to Reply #2
14. so he was "sick"?
Were the Buddhist monks who set themselves alight to protest Vietnam "sick" as well?

I think the true sickness lies with individuals who yawn in the face of atrocity, not those who are overwhelmed by its horror.


uppityperson (1000+ posts) Tue Nov-28-06 03:55 PM
Response to Reply #3
16. He tried, did a lot of protesting and wanted to make a huge statement
sacrificing his life to bring more attention to the occupation of Iraq. Too bad it has been ignored and shoved aside as only a waste of life. By ignoring it and writing it off as mental illness suicide, MSM and people have made it so. I heard you Malachi.


Gato Moteado (1000+ posts) Tue Nov-28-06 03:37 PM
Response to Original message
4. what a waste of a good life
we all surely understand his anger. but, jeez, he coulda just left the country for a while. he didn't have to burn himself. especially when there are plenty of freepers around to douse with gasoline and torch.


npincus (1000+ posts) Tue Nov-28-06 03:52 PM
Response to Reply #4
15. more than anger
it was anguish, deep psychic pain. While I would not ever do this, I respect his choice and how sad that so few will ever hear about this.

BTW, I think you're on to something there... hot, hot freepers.


uppityperson (1000+ posts) Tue Nov-28-06 04:07 PM
Response to Reply #15
17. Ignoring this ultimate sacrifice, writing it off, makes sure it is dismissed

Reading uppityperson's posts almost makes you think Malachi was the second Jesus, for crying out loud.